Posted: 2/02/07

On the Move

• Jacob Benson to First Church in Waxahachie as minister to students.

• Paul Brand to Bulverde Church in Bulverde as youth minister.

• Mark Bryant to First Church in Wimberley as pastor.

• Fernando Charles has resigned as pastor of Primera Iglesia in San Marcos.

• Rex Clayton to Calvary Church in Tishomingo, Okla., as pastor from East 4th Street Church in Big Spring.

• Dena Dalton has resigned as director of community ministries and lay mobilization at Trinity Church in San Antonio.

• Lenard Dossey to First Church in Yancey as pastor.

• Bill Fowler has resigned as pastor of First Church in Pleasanton to take a position as assistant professor of Christian studies at Howard Payne University.

• Michael Goodman to Yorktown Church in Corpus Christi as minister of music and young singles.

• Darren Heil to Central Church in Blooming Grove as pastor from First Church in Mertens.

• Derek Hutter to South Garland Church in Garland as youth minister from First Church of Urbandale in Dallas.

• Ken James to First Church in Mertens as interim pastor.

• George Kelly to Pond Springs Church in Austin as interim pastor.

• Ralph Lee to Trinity Church in Cordova, Tenn., as executive pastor from First Church in Round Rock, where he was administrator.

• Jay Lewis to Fairview Church in Levelland as pastor.

• Paul Lively to Bellaire Church in Lubbock as pastor from First Church in Morton.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 2/02/07

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING:
Intercession aside, do Baptists have a prayer?

By Ken Camp

Managing Editor

Baptists understand numbers. That’s how churches measure success in baptisms, Bible study attendance, budget giving and building campaigns.

But for all their talk about the importance of prayer, Baptists seem less certain how to measure the effectiveness of prayer ministries.

A member of Iglesia Bautista Segunda in Corpus Christi bows for prayer.

See Related Articles: • PRAY WITHOUT CEASING: Intercession aside, do Baptists have a prayer? • Prayerwalkers appeal to God to take back community • UMHB students put feet to their prayers in the streets of Tokyo

Counting the number of people signed up for an intercessory prayer ministry or listing answers to prayers may provide some means of charting progress, but those are secondary measurements, said Ted Elmore, former director of prayer and spiritual development with the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board staff.

“How many people (in a congregation) are delighting in God? By praying, we learn communion with God. We may not get answers to our questions, but we become a people who are contented with God. The measure of effective prayer is whether people are walking in communion with God and growing in their contentment with God,” said Elmore, a member of 121 Community Church in Grapevine who works with churches as a life design coach and consultant.

Church members’ deeper walk with God becomes demonstrated in their attitudes and actions. Praying people are eager to serve, willing to forgive and growing in grace, he insisted.

Deirdre LaNoue, a Baptist historian and former professor of spiritual formation at Mount St. Joseph’s College in Cincinnati, agreed.

“Jesus told us that the greatest commandments in all the law are to love God with all that we are and to love others as much as we love ourselves. If those participating (in prayer) are being drawn into a deeper love for God and if people are being truly loved and served, I think these are clues that the prayer ministry is effective, although I grant that this can be hard to measure,” LaNoue said.

Small groups provide a context in which the prayer life of members best can be gauged, Elmore stressed.

“Effectiveness is best measured in small groups where people agree to be held accountable in covenant with one another. That’s where you get a sense of the spiritual growth of one another,” he said.

A child at Iglesia Bautista Segunda in Corpus Christi prays. Betty Talbert, director of spiritual formation at Baylor University’s Truett Seminary, insists adults can learn about prayer from children. “Until the age of 10, most children meditate—think prayerfully about God—regularly. … They stop believing mostly because of the cynicism of adults around them,” Talbert said.

Betty Talbert, director of spiritual formation at Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary, likewise emphasized the importance of small groups. Small groups focused on prayer have a long history in Baptist churches, she noted.

“Traditional effective intercession was associated with Sunday school, Woman’s Missionary Union and Wednesday night prayer services,” she said. “These groups in Baptist life were small enough to know the details of the lives of (church members) or missionaries for whom they were praying and to be encouraged by reports that their prayers were being answered. So, the small group is just a resurrection of what we, as Baptists, traditionally have done.”

When small groups within a larger fellowship focus on prayer, pride becomes a potential pitfall to be avoided—along with the perception that the small group is “holier-than-thou,” LaNoue noted.

“The danger of pious pride is a deadly one,” she said. “I think the best antidote for it is making sure the leadership constantly teaches and trains on the idea that prayer is a means of service. I don’t think we teach enough on the virtues. Certainly, humility and generosity are key. I think we should be watchful of our attitudes and anything else that can cause division in the body. Leadership must be proactive.”

Church leaders can help the church as a whole develop a closer connection to prayer-based small groups, Talbert added. For instance, a pastor may lead a worship service celebrating the decisions of members who have committed to spiritual growth through involvement in small groups. As a part of the service, he could invite the whole congregation to pray for those members.

“This approach has the goal of letting everyone in the church be a part of what is happening with the groups,” she said.

Church leaders also can promote harmony by working to enlist new people for prayer-based small groups.

“Be certain that all members feel welcome to join groups at any time,” she said. “If everyone is always welcome, no feeling of superiority develops inside or outside the group.”

Baptists can grow spiritually by focusing on different types of prayer, she added.

“Try new prayers. Let some folks do contemplative prayers. Let others do prayers of adoration using Psalms as their text,” Talbert suggested. “Ask folks to use journals and write their prayers or write answers to prayers.”

Baptists typically have focused almost exclusively on intercessory prayer, LaNoue observed.

“Some disciplines that might bring more balance to our prayer life are the more contemplative aspects of gazing upon God in love and adoration, listening and reflecting on what we hear from our conversation with him, even just learning to rest in the presence of God through prayer, without needing to accomplish anything,” she said.

God transforms lives when people open themselves to him, Elmore noted. Devotional Bible reading, combined with periods of quiet meditation, provide a context in which the Holy Spirit shapes lives, he added.

“There is a lot to be said for solitude—for shutting out the noise of the world and just listening. God uses his word to teach us to hear his voice,” Elmore said.

“In solitude and meditation, the Holy Spirit works, shaping us. … It is through prayer and meditation—not activity, but being in the presence of God—that we find satisfaction.”

Fasting, journaling, simplicity, service, solitude and confession represent some of the spiritual disciplines Christians historically have found helpful aids to spiritual growth, but LaNoue noted not every Christian responds equally well to every discipline.

“We are not meant to be cookie-cutter Christians. I think our unique temperaments tend to dictate the ways we are most comfortable relating to God,” she said.

“But this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t stretch ourselves and try to keep the relationship fresh and creative by utilizing a variety of disciplines. This might require trying things that are outside my usual comfort zone. Some of the spiritual disciplines that I have studied over the years have deeply enriched my prayer life.”

Spiritual disciplines are just tools to be used or not used, depending on how effective they prove for a particular individual, she noted.

“Whenever we start comparing ourselves or using the disciplines as a measure of how spiritual someone is, the disciplines become legalistic and destructive,” she warned.

“The disciplines are not an end in themselves; they are a means to an end. They place us in the path of God’s grace and transformative power, if we practice them with the desire for him and nothing else.”

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 2/02/07

Texas Baptist Men Builders constructed a worship facility for Mill Creek Baptist Church in Bellville, a congregation that has existed 10 years without a permanent place to call home. (Photos by George Henson)

After 10 years, church finally
has a home of its own

By George Henson

Staff Writer

BELLVILLE—Harkening to the past promises growth for the future of a congregation looking to put down its roots.

Mill Creek Baptist Church never has had a place to call home.

Since beginning in Pastor Monte Byrd’s home 10 years ago, the congregation has bounced from the community center to a public school to a private school to a German dance hall.

Pastor Monte Byrd believes the high profile location and towering steeple of Mill Creek Baptist Church will draw worshippers to the building constructed by Texas Baptist Men Builders.

“We’ve basically been in every rental facility in town,” Byrd said.

Thanks to the Texas Baptist Men Builders, those wandering days have almost reached their end.

The church’s high steeple and narrow lines will recall an earlier tradition of church architecture. The design is one Byrd had admired when passing a church in Brenham.

When the builder of the Brenham church was contacted, he donated the building plans.

As Byrd looked recently at the nearly completed structure with a team of builders whose average age is 72 worked industriously, he was quick to mention the debt the congregation owed the crew.

“We couldn’t have begun to build this without the Texas Baptist Men Builders. There’s just absolutely no way,” he said.

While the congregation has been faithful, with several families’ membership dating back to the church’s nascent months, the lack of a permanent facility may have hampered growth.

“If we see 30, it’s a good Sunday,” Byrd acknowledged.

That might be about the change. The church will sit at the top of a hill overlooking one of Bellville’s main thoroughfares.

“We’re going to go from where nobody knows where we’re at, to having one of the most visible spots in town,” Byrd said.

When the church began thinking about building a permanent facility, Byrd was asked where he would like to build if he could choose any spot in the city.

“I picked this one,” he said.

When the search for the land’s owner was made, it was discovered she was living in a nursing home. Two months later, she died, and the family sold the congregation the 2 1/2–acre site for $40,000.

The congregation has received affirmation from God throughout the building process, Byrd said. In addition to willingness of the TBM Builders to take on the project and the availability of the prime choice of location at a price they could afford, there have been other things as well.

Wayne Simpkins (right) and other Texas Baptist Men Builders work on Mill Creek Baptist Church in Bellville, providing the congregation its first permanent home. The church started 10 years ago in Pastor Monte Byrd’s home, and it met most recently in a German dance hall.

For example, the church will have a steeple that will spire above the roof to give the church a long sightline to passing traffic. After it arrived, however, Byrd was told a crane would be needed to lift it to the top of the building. He found himself at a loss because there was no money left to rent a crane.

“The heating and air conditioning contractor heard about our problem, and told us: ‘Don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of the crane.’ That’s the way it’s been throughout this whole project—God’s fingerprints are just everywhere. One thing after another, God has just taken care of it,” Byrd said.

The construction is not only building excitement in the Mill Creek congregation, but others in the community of 3,800 have been watching the building go through the construction stages.

“Outside of our group, we’re attracting a lot of people who say the building reminds them of the church of their childhood and all that stood for, and I never planned that. I just liked the way it looked,” Byrd said.

But none of it, he repeated, would have happened without the skills of the retired builders who made the plans reality.

Paul Bottoms of First Baptist Church in Jewett is one of those skilled laborers. In more than three years he has been serving on the team, he has participated in building 35 churches.

“It’s just extremely rewarding—spiritually, physically and mentally,” he said. “I just can’t think of a better way of spending my time than serving the Lord.”

He also enjoys the company.

“If you went into a small church like ours and picked out the two or three most dedicated and loving Christian folks, that would be representative of the folks you find on a Texas Baptist Men build,” he said.

Involvement with the builders also brings a great deal of satisfaction, he added.

“The churches are always so thankful, and while we work for the glory of God, that’s real nice,” Bottoms said.

After more than 17 years as a TBM Builder and a veteran of 175 church builds, Wayne Simpkins of First Baptist Church in Bryan headed up the build in Bellville.

He enjoys working on churches so much that he quit his job years ago so he could do it full-time.

“One of the main things is that you know that you’re doing something that will last forever. How many things can you do that really leaves a legacy? Even if they only reached one or two people, that would be worth it,” he said.

“We’re doing mission work. Some people think you have to go out of the country to do mission work, but this is mission work. Every one of these people have been called to do this. We all could be home holding down a chair, but this keeps us active and a lot more healthy.”

Simpkins left Byrd a bit of a challenge.

“I told him if they don’t fill it up in a year, we’re going to come back and tear it down,” he said with a gleam in his eye.

“But we tell them all that, really, and we haven’t torn one down yet.”

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 2/02/07

Texas Tidbits

DBU offers Patriot Preview event. Dallas Baptist University is offering a look at campus life during a Patriot Preview event Feb. 10 for high school juniors and seniors, college transfer students and their parents. The Patriot Preview begins at 8:30 a.m. with a breakfast with DBU professors. Prospective students then will be given the opportunity to attend mock classes and interview for scholarships. For parents, Patriot Weekend will feature information seminars on topics such as financial aid, campus life, parent services, and the application process, plus the chance to meet DBU administrators. The weekend event also will include a student-life fair. DBU will waive the application fee for students who apply during Patriot Weekend. The cost for the event is $25, which includes two meals for both students and parents. For more information about Patriot Weekend, students or parents may contact the office of undergraduate admissions at (214) 333-5360, or register online at www.dbu.edu/patriotday.

Baylor regents approve practice facility. At a called meeting, the Baylor University board of regents unanimously adopted a proposal to construct an on-campus football training facility. The $22 million facility, which is being funded with private resources, likely will be located adjacent to Baylor’s other athletics facilities at the Turner Riverfront Complex. Games will continue to be played at Floyd Casey Stadium. Construction of the practice facility will take about 18 months. A final review of the project plans and specifications has been scheduled for the Feb. 8-9 regents meeting.

 

Orientation for Mexico missions slated. The Baptist General Convention of Texas Border/Mexico Missions office will hold three free meetings to help churches find Mexico missions projects and learn how they can minister along the Texas-Mexico border. Two meetings Feb. 16-17 will orient mission leaders to the Rio Grande Valley and Eagle Pass as well as the Mexican cities of Reynosa, Matamoros, Piedras Negras and Acuna. Texas Baptists can register for the Rio Grande Valley meeting—which also will orient mission workers to Reynosa and Matamoros—by sending an e-mail to svbrmission@rioplexwireless.com or calling (956) 968-3161. Texas Baptists can register for the Eagle Pass meeting—which also will orient mission workers to Piedras Negras and Acuna—by sending an e-mail to delriouvalde@sbcglobal.net or calling (830) 278-5351. The third meeting is Feb. 23-25 and will orient mission leaders to El Paso, the Big Bend area and Juarez, Mexico. Texas Baptists can register for this training event by sending an e-mail too juanfepba@sbcglobal.net or calling (915) 544-8671.

 

Panhandle-Plains Conference set. The 86th Annual Panhandle-Plains Pastors’ and Laymen’s Conference, Feb. 19-20 at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, will feature messages, music and fellowship all centered on the theme “Encountering Jesus.” Speakers include Bill Tinsley, leader of the WorldconneX missions network; D.L. Lowrie, pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church in Lubbock; Howie Batson, pastor of First Baptist Church in Amarillo; David Dykes, pastor of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler; Ed Sena, pastor of Emanuel Community Baptist Church in Lubbock; and Randy Newberry, mobilization strategist for the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 2/02/07

Theologians debate if the Trinity
teaches lessons about gender roles

By Adelle M. Banks

Religion News Service

WASHINGTON (RNS)—For centuries, theologians have debated the Holy Trinity. For decades, evangelical Christians have argued over proper roles for men and women. Now, the two fights are merging into one.

Some scholars, drawing support from their interpretations of the Bible, link a belief that women should be submissive to men with a belief that Jesus is eternally subordinate to God the Father.

Proponents call it crystal-clear “scriptural revelation.” Critics call it “bad theology” and “extremely disturbing.”

The relatively private and esoteric theological discussion went public at a recent meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society. In a gathering where papers typically are politely delivered and received, a session on “The Trinity and Gender” prompted outright debate.

“There is a relationship of authority and submission in the very Godhead on the basis of which the other authority-submission relationships of Christ and man, and man and woman, depend,” argued Bruce Ware, professor of Christian theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, in his paper titled “Equal in Essence, Distinct in Roles.”

Ware cited the Bible’s use of father-son terminology as demonstrating an “eternal relationship” rather than an “ad hoc arrangement.”

“We have scriptural revelation that clearly says that the Son came down out of heaven to do the will of his Father,” he wrote.

Kevin Giles, an Australian who wrote a 2006 book disputing the idea of Jesus’ eternal subordination to God, countered Ware’s views with his paper on “The Father and the Son: Divided or Undivided Power and Authority.’”

“The Father and the Son do not relate to one another in exactly the same way as a man and a woman might do, and to suggest so is bad theology,” he wrote.

The suggestion that Jesus is eternally subordinate in authority denies he has the same power and essence as God and the Holy Spirit, Giles insisted.

Beyond the scholarly meeting, the debate continues between two groups that have differed on gender matters. The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, for one, believes men have the leadership roles in the church and the home. On the other side, the group Christians for Biblical Equality promotes “gift-based,” rather than gender-based, ministry that supports women serving at various levels in the church and in the home.

Mimi Haddad is president of the equality group and the leader of the Gender and Evangelicals Study Group within the Evangelical Theological Society that brought the scholars together for discussion at the society’s meeting.

“The reformulation of the Trinity by gender hierarchalists is utterly astounding and clearly (unorthodox) theologically,” she said. “We find it extremely disturbing.”

Wayne Grudem, a founder of the opposing council and a Phoenix Seminary professor, says the ongoing discussion pits what often are called complementarians—those supporting different roles for men and women—against egalitarians—those af-firming equal roles.

“The fundamental bedrock … principle of egalitarianism is: ‘You can’t be both equal and different. You can’t be equal in value and different in roles,’” he said. “That’s their deep-seated conviction, and I’m saying: ‘Yes, you can. The Trinity proves it.’”

One of the Bible verses that comes up in the debate is 1 Corinthians 11:3, which reads (in the New King James Version): “But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.”

Giles calls the argument that God the Father is eternally authoritative over God the Son “unconvincing.” But Ware, from Southern Seminary, believes the verse demonstrates a “relationship between the Father and the Son that reflects an eternal verity.” They also disagree on what the verse says about gender roles; Giles says it does not represent a hierarchical order and Ware says it does.

Giles argues that proponents of Jesus’ eternal subordination to God the Father are guilty of “Arian heresy,” a fourth century teaching that denied the full divinity of Christ. He believes that viewpoint contradicts the Evangelical Theological Society’s doctrinal statement, which says the members of the Trinity are “one in essence, equal in power and glory.”

And where does this leave the third member of the Trinity—the Holy Spirit—who arrived on the scene after the resurrected Jesus ascended to heaven?

“The Holy Spirit is equally God, but he submits to both the Father and the Son,” Grudem said.

Hadded disagrees, calling Grudem’s stand “one of the most heterodox statements I’ve ever heard. … Members of the Trinity are coequal in power, authority, majesty and dominion.”

Francis Beckwith, president of the Evangelical Theological Society, said there is a “pretty vigorous debate” over the issue, but he doesn’t think it threatens anyone’s membership within the academic organization.

“All that ETS members are committed to is the doctrine of the Trinity,” said Beckwith, an associate professor of church-state studies at Baylor University. “Within the membership, there are different ways in which people understand that.”

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 2/02/07

Tulsa churches promise to pray around
the clock all year long for their city, state

By Bill Sherman

Religion News Service

TULSA, Okla. (RNS)—As Oklahoma enters its centennial year, two dozen Tulsa-area churches have joined together to pray for the state and the city around the clock for the entire year.

Some of Tulsa’s largest churches, from several denominations, are participating in the 24-7 prayer cycle.

Mark McAdow, pastor of prayer and evangelism at Asbury United Methodist Church, said the goal is to “saturate Tulsa and the state with prayer, as a unified body of Christ.”

He called the prayer project “a rare opportunity for us to cross denominational lines and be united in prayer for the state and the city.”

The 24-7 prayer started at midnight New Year’s Eve at Believers Church. Earlier that day, a torch was lit that will be carried each week to the participating churches. Each will schedule people to pray in one-hour slots around the clock for one week.

Roger Nix, pastor of Believers Church, said enough churches have signed on to cover the first six months of 2007, and more are interested. If fewer than 52 churches participate, some will schedule more than one week of prayer.

On a recent Tuesday afternoon, staff workers at Believers Church covered the prayer slot from 2 until 3 p.m.

In a dimly lit prayer room with scribbled prayer requests glowing under black lights on a black wall, Debbie Tietsort prayed that “all the churches will come together and love you in one accord, without denominational barriers.”

After participating in the prayer time, Kathy Ruddick said she believes God has a purpose for every city.

“I think Tulsa is meant to be a healing place,” she said.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 2/02/07

Four Japanese students in school uniforms asked to have their picture taken with Jennifer Jendrusch as University of Mary Hardin-Baylor students went on a prayerwalk through a Tokyo subway.

UMHB students put feet to their
prayers in the streets of Tokyo

By Jennifer Sicking

University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

BELTON—A group of University of Mary Hardin-Baylor students recently put feet to their prayers in one of the world’s largest cities.

Four students journeyed to Tokyo, Japan, as part of Go Now Missions. In addition to sharing Christ through Christmas music and English practice, they also participated in prayerwalking.

“Prayerwalking would be described as spontaneous praying while walking around a city or building,” said Jennifer Jendrusch, a freshman performance studies major from Corpus Christi.

Every day, the students took a walk through the city and prayed for the lives around them.

See Related Articles: • PRAY WITHOUT CEASING: Intercession aside, do Baptists have a prayer? • Prayerwalkers appeal to God to take back community • UMHB students put feet to their prayers in the streets of Tokyo

“This involved walking around the city of Tokyo praying for whatever God put on your heart, whether it was praying for someone that walked by you or a building,” Jendrusch said.

Students prayerwalked the city’s streets, as well as a Shinto shrine, a Buddhist shrine, around the emperor’s palace and through universities.

“Prayerwalking was huge,” said Cody Callen, a junior Christian studies major from Hearne. “It was ridiculous how faithful God was to our prayers.”

In one such instance, Callen said, they were going to visit a Shinto shrine to pray for the people and place. They were supposed to meet Journeymen missionaries at the train station, but one couldn’t attend. They also were running late. But everything turned out to be just right.

“At the shrine, we met nine college students looking for foreigners to take on tours to practice their English,” he said. “There happened to be nine of us.”

The following day, Callen and another student missionary were prayerwalking through a Japanese university campus. They ended up walking into a building and encountering a billboard with “Jesus loves you” posted on it. They found the nearby room vacant and left the building, but then they saw a Japanese man entering and returned.

“It turned out 15 Japanese met there for Bible study,” he said. “We got to go and meet them.”

That also led the student missionaries to attend a prayer meeting and Christmas party with the Japanese students. Callen and the Japanese student leader of the Bible study also went prayerwalking together through the campus.

“It was awesome,” he said.

With only 10 days in the city, it was difficult to see how effective their prayers were, Jendrusch said.

“I believe that if more teams go and continue with what we were doing, then the people of Japan can start to believe in Christ,” she said. “This was my first time ever prayerwalking, so it was definitely different for me to pray with my eyes open and also to pray for everyone that walks by you.”

While Callen said he had heard of prayerwalking before going to Japan, he hadn’t practiced it.

“I definitely saw the impact and the power of prayer,” he said.

Now, he plans to put it into practice in America.

“I want to try to do some prayer walking around my campus,” he said. “It works.”

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Storylist for week of 2/05/07

TAKE ME TO: Top Story |  Texas |  Opinion |  Baptists |  Faith & Culture |  Book Reviews |  Classifieds  |  Departments  |  Bible Study



• IMB trustee investigation rejects allegations of board impropriety

• Christian faith unites opposing Super Bowl coaches




• PRAY WITHOUT CEASING: Intercession aside, do Baptists have a prayer?


• PRAY WITHOUT CEASING: Intercession aside, do Baptists have a prayer?

• Prayerwalkers appeal to God to take back community

• UMHB students put feet to their prayers in the streets of Tokyo

• Shoes offer relief, hope in Russia & Chechnya

• After 10 years, church finally has a home of its own

• Texas CP 2006 receipts up slightly

• On the Move

• Around the State

• Texas Tidbits


• Carter defends Palestine book at Jewish university

• One year later, burned Alabama churches rise from ashes

• Baptist Briefs


• New school rises near site of Amish killings

• Beatles' spiritual journey followed long & winding road

• Employees of Justice, Homeland Security receive religion training

• Theologians debate if the Trinity teaches lessons about gender roles

• Tulsa churches promise to pray around the clock all year long for their city, state

• Faith Digest


• Books reviewed in this issue: Beyond Racial Gridlock: Embracing Mutual Responsibility by George Yancey, Lending Your Leadership: How Pastors are Redefining Their Role in Community Life by Nelson Granade and I Saw Him in Your Eyes by Ace Collins.


• Cartoon

• Classified Ads

• Texas Baptist Forum

• Around the State

• On the Move


• EDITORIAL: Confusing, illogical, irresistible prayer

• DOWN HOME: How neat: Scholars defend messiness

• TOGETHER: A way for Baptists to bless the world

• RIGHT or WRONG? Human/civil rights

• Texas Baptist Forum



• BaptistWay Bible Series for February 4: What Jesus Wants For His Followers

• Bible Studies for Life Series for February 4: The Word From God

• Explore the Bible Series for February 4: When Life Turns Upside Down

• BaptistWay Bible Series for February 11: Jesus lays down his life for his followers

• Bible Studies for Life Series for February 11: True belief engenders action

• Explore the Bible Series for February 11: Service is sometimes risky business


Previously Posted
• Wayland's centennial history a labor of love for professor

• Diverse coalition forces amendment to lobbying-reform bill

• Evangelicals join scientists in fight against global warming

• Accrediting agencies asked to probe seminary's dismissal of female prof

• WMU suffers from mission board funding cuts

• Group soliciting signatures for letter to Executive Board

• Host families urgently needed to care for Indonesian burn victims

• TBM chainsaw teams offer relief in northeastern Oklahoma


• See complete list of articles from our 1/22/ 2007 issue here.

Posted: 1/31/07

BaptistWay Bible Series for February11

Jesus lays down his life for his followers

• John 19:13-30

By David Wilkinson

Broadway Baptist Church, Fort Worth

John 19 continues the description of Jesus’ trial following his betrayal and arrest (18:1-10) and informal interrogation by Annas, Caiaphas’ father-in-law (18:12-27, an account unique to John). The trial before Pontius Pilate, Roman procurator of Judea, is like a drama consisting of seven episodes, with the scenes alternating between the inside of the praetorium, where the readers eavesdrop on Pilate’s questioning of Jesus, and the outside, where Pilate deals with the Jewish authorities (19:1-16).

As we have noted throughout our study of the fourth Gospel, the evangelist writes with a theological purpose. On a historical plane, he describes the trial and crucifixion. At the same time, he also unveils what is occurring on the deeper, spiritual level. As in his life, there is in Jesus’ death a larger purpose at work.

For a printer-friendly version, click on the printer icon at bottom of page.

Jesus in control

In John’s Gospel, Jesus is in complete control of all that happens, from the moment of his betrayal in the garden to his final breath on the cross. With the note of irony that pulses throughout John’s narrative, Jesus is betrayed, seized, put on trial and cruelly executed, yet nothing lies outside his control and his Father’s will.

Earlier, Jesus had announced that “the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep” (10:11) and, further: “I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (10:17-18). Now, he stands before Pilate, who has the power to order his release or execution, and boldly declares Pilate “would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above” (19:11).

This motif continues throughout John’s depiction of the crucifixion. Because Jesus is of his own volition laying down his life, he carries his own cross, does not utter the excruciating cry of his Father’s abandonment, says “I thirst” only to fulfill the Scripture, and even in death serenely bows his head and gives up his spirit in a final act of self-giving.

With striking brevity compared to the other Gospels, there are “no taunts nor mocking, no conversations with two thieves, no darkness, no earthquakes, no indication of how long Jesus was on the cross, no emptying of tombs, and no splitting of the temple veil,” theologian Fred Craddock points out.

Jesus as king

Another key theological theme is that of kingship. In John’s narrative, the Jews serve to epitomize “the world”—all those who stand in opposition to the message and way of Jesus, as we have seen earlier. In his final, last-ditch effort to release Jesus, Pilate pressures the Jews into confessing Caesar as their king (19:12-16). Further, Pilate pronounces the verdict against Jesus about noon (19:14), the time when the Passover lambs were brought to the temple to be sacrificed, another point of poignant irony.

Pilate has the title, “King of the Jews,” posted on the cross, resisting efforts by the Jewish authorities to replace it with a statement to the effect that Jesus claimed the title. Written in the languages of the day, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, the announcement is proclaimed to the whole world. Again, the irony is unavoidable. Beyond Pilate’s sarcasm lies the universal truth of what he had written: Jesus of Nazareth is, indeed, “King of the Jews.”

But beyond this irony is a greater one. Those who had insisted that the imposter, the blasphemer, be crucified have unwittingly enthroned him. The crucifixion of Jesus is the lifting up of Jesus which, in its fuller sense, is the glorifying of the Son, Craddock reminds us.

Symbolic details

When the soldiers divvy up the spoils of Jesus’ meager possessions, John points out they were unknowingly acting in fulfillment of Scripture. He includes another intriguing detail, noting the soldiers did not want to destroy Jesus’ tunic, a long undergarment seamlessly woven from top to bottom, so they cast lots for it. The seamless tunic may have been a symbol of Jesus’ priestly office, since the high priest’s robe was woven from a single length of thread (although it was worn as an outer garment); the unity of Jesus’ followers (17:21); or God’s protection (since the tunic was not destroyed).

The explicit mention of the hyssop branch may be another Paschal allusion since hyssop was used to sprinkle the blood of the Paschal lamb on the doorposts of the Israelites (Exodus 12:22) before the exodus.

Jesus tenderly fulfills his filial duty by ensuring his death will not leave his mother desolate. He entrusts her to the beloved disciple (19:26), an act that demonstrates his care for those he leaves behind. The one who will not leave his disciples “orphaned” (14:18) will not leave his followers unprotected.

Faithful to the end

Jesus’ final words from the cross, “It is finished,” clearly mean much more than “My life is ended.” The Son obediently has completed the demands of “the hour” of death, just as he had earlier concluded his public ministry with the words in his prayer, “I glorified you on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do” (17:4). “The hour” had come, and he has been faithful to the end.

Throughout the Gospel, Jesus has emphasized that he has come to accomplish (Greek, telein) the Father’s work (4:34: 5:36; 17:4). Now he cries, “It is finished” or “accomplished” (tetelestai—completed, finished, fulfilled, perfected).

In a final act of obedience, Jesus bows his head and “hands over” (paradidonai) his spirit. It is the same word used for Judas’ betrayal of Jesus (6:64, 71; 12:4; 13:2, 11, 21; 18:2, 5; 21:20), for the Jewish leaders handing Jesus over to Pilate (18:30, 35, 36; 19:11) and for Pilate handing Jesus over to be executed (19:16). It is Jesus, not his executioners, who is in control as he hands over his spirit to the Father.

Discussion questions

• Within the theology of the fourth Gospel, the Jewish leaders become so compromised they effectively reject God as their king and condemn the true Paschal lamb. It is easy for us to identify “the Jews” in John’s Gospel as “them” rather than “us.” In what ways do we who call Jesus “Lord” compromise and undermine our professed loyalty? With whom or what do we supplant Jesus as king of our lives?

• In what ways does the Gospel’s depiction of Jesus’ faithfulness to the end offer hope to you?

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 1/31/07

Explore the Bible Series for February 11

Service is sometimes risky business

• Esther 3:2,5-6; 4:5, 8-16

By Howard Anderson

Diversified Spiritual Associates, San Antonio

Haman was made grand vizier, and all lesser officials were required to bow to him. Mordecai was a Benjaminite, and he was loyal to God, so he refused to honor a descendant of Agag, king of Amalek, Israel’s bitter enemy.

Haman was outraged. Mordecai’s mourning in sackcloth made him ritually unclean, since it was a badge of mourning for the dead among the Persians.

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When Esther learned of Mordecai’s mourning, she took steps to learn what lay behind it. Mordecai informed her of Haman’s plot and urged her to plead with the king on the Jews’ behalf. Esther volunteered to go before the king.

Every Christian should recognize that God alone is worthy of worship and ultimate loyalty. We must be open to ministry opportunities the Lord may be leading us to. We can exercise faith by choosing to follow the Lord’s leadership to serve him, even when risk may be involved.

Following God includes loyalty (Esther 3:2, 5-6)

All the officials of the king were on duty within the king’s gate. Mordecai was the chief thorn in Haman’s life by refusing to bow down. From Mordecai’s viewpoint, he could not honor one whom God had cursed (Exodus 17:14-16). Haman almost succeeded in destroying the Jews of the world, and it was Esther who saved them from their destruction (Esther 4:6-6:14).

Mordecai reportedly told the king’s servants he was a Jew (Esther 3:4). It is not known whether the bowing was required as an act of worship to the king’s man or just as an overt sign of deep respect. As a Jew, Mordecai may not have been able to bring himself to show this sign of respect to one who was an ancestral enemy.

Mordecai’s daily refusal to bow down to Haman filled the official with such rage that he sought to kill all Jewish people in the Persian Empire. Haman’s Amalekite ancestry would account for his deep hatred.

Following God includes understanding (Esther 4:5, 8-9)

Hatach was a trusted eunuch who knew of Esther’s Jewish background. Many events took place in the plaza of a city, including gatherings, proclamations and public lamentation.

Mordecai recognized the decree as a threat to the existence of his people, so he boldly commanded Esther to intercede for her people before the king, knowing this would be at the risk of her life. If she was not identified as a Hebrew woman, she might possibly escape the fate of her people—but only if her association with Mordecai (Esther 2:7, 15) was not remembered by their enemies. In any event, she would be in a most risky position.

“Make supplication” means to ask for a gracious response. It is a term often used in coming to the Lord for deliverance; and here it is used of coming to a king for mercy.

Following God may include risk (Esther 4:10-16)

Esther understood that Mordecai was asking her to risk her life. She understandably was fearful. Her fear was compounded by the fact that the king had not summoned her for 30 days, implying she had not been enjoying the king’s favor recently. Who knew if he still would have regard for her at all?

Mordecai, by his confidence that “enlargement and deliverance” would come from “another place,” was strongly asserting a healthy faith in God’s sovereign power to preserve the Jewish people. He may have remembered the Lord’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:3; 17:1-8). God would intervene with or without Esther. If she refused to help, she would perish, along with her “father’s house.”

In the closing appeal, Mordecai suggested a providential reason for her becoming queen at this precise time in history; that is, Esther was acting as God’s agent in delivering the Jewish people.

Esther agreed to intervene with the king on behalf of her people. The fasting “for three days” implies a period of earnestly seeking God in prayer at this critical juncture. Esther was looking for the support of the Jewish community by asking them to join in this fast. Esther’s heroic willingness to die for the sake of her fellow Jews is commendable.

Discussion questions

• How has loyalty played a part in your obedience before God?

• If God loves us, why does he sometimes ask us to do things that put us at risk?

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 1/29/06

CYBER COLUMN:
Jesus’ Church

By Brett Younger

In Fort Worth, Grace Country Cowboy Church began four years ago. Or as they put it, “a posse was formed.” They’re trying to reach out to cowboys and cowgirls who wouldn’t attend the average church. The church welcomes anyone who enjoys old-time country music. They promise to “boot scoot for Jesus and two-step on the devil.”

In Mayfield, Ky., boaters gather at Kentucky Lake every Sunday morning. They worship on the floating pavilion next to the marina restaurant. The pastor must be tempted to preach on fishers of men every service.

Brett Younger

In upscale Manhattan in the arts community of Chelsea, The Gallery Church is made up almost completely of single adults. Picture the cast from Friends discussing Song of Solomon.

In Union Point, Ga., a church of ATV and motocross riders meets early each Sunday. You have to assume the benediction is, “Gentlemen, start your engines.”

In Denver, Colo., a church that meets on Sunday nights is named—and I’m not making this up—The Scum of the Earth. The church is filled with punks, skaters and people with tattoos, body piercings and purple hair. I bet their choir wears black robes.

All of these churches reach people most churches don’t reach, and that’s wonderful. But you wish it wasn’t necessary, because it isn’t what Jesus had in mind.

Jesus’ Church doesn’t have separate congregations for cowboys, boaters, singles, bikers and those with hair colors that aren’t found in nature. Jesus was serious when he said God is our Father and we all belong to one family. It’s sad that God’s family seldom meets in the same church. We have churches for the rich, churches for the poor, churches for liberals, churches for conservatives, churches for white people, churches for black people, churches for straight people, churches for gay people, churches with Starbucks in the lobby, churches where the coffee only comes in one flavor and it’s called “black,” churches that function like neighborhood associations, churches that act like historical societies, and churches that say everyone is welcome and yet everyone looks the same.

Twenty years ago, I was a pastor in Paoli, Ind. Our church was a block off the kind of town square that makes you wish every town had a town square. If you’ve heard of Paoli, it’s probably because of the furniture. Since 1926, Paoli Furniture, Inc. has made gorgeous furniture that the people who make it can’t afford. My salary as pastor was $14,000 a year, but the parsonage was filled with beautiful furniture. About 1987, the Middle Adult Sunday school class—and isn’t that an attractive name for a class?—decided they didn’t want to sit on folding chairs any more. They worked out a deal with one of the managers in the factory’s chair department. The fourteen members of the class would spend $40 each to buy material for chairs that would normally cost about $500. They would make the chairs on a Saturday when the factory was closed.

What a great idea! Jesus was a carpenter. How could he not love this? The craftsmanship on the chairs would be amazing—fine wood, deep finishes, exquisite details like brass trim. Any one of these chairs would class up the Palace of Versailles.

Then I found out they were making exactly 14 chairs and asked, “Couldn’t we make a few extra?”

The answer was: “The class only has 14 members. We’re the ones who are paying for the chairs and doing the work.”

I naively asked, “Well, what about when visitors come?”

I was told, “We still have the folding chairs, and if a member isn’t there, they can use one of our chairs.”

I foolishly asked, “But won’t you feel funny sitting in these beautiful chairs while visitors sit in folding chairs?”

I was informed, “That’s not going to happen.”

They were right.

Before the new chairs arrived, the teacher put a lock on the door. We’d never had a lock on any door. He explained that they wanted the chairs to stay in the room and didn’t want the kids to get in there on Wednesday nights.

Several years later, Carol and I went back for the church’s anniversary. They still had 14 chairs in the room, and they looked great, but most went unfilled most Sundays. The majority of the class was gone. The teacher had gotten mad and gone to another church. The young adult class was getting bigger. The older adult class was doing well, but the middle adults didn’t have anybody new.

What could be less surprising? That’s what happens when we decide that the church will always be who we are now. That’s what happens when we keep the best chairs for ourselves. That’s what happens when we want some people to stay out of our church.

If my church is going to look like Jesus’ Church, we need more poor people to show us Christ in the least of these. We need more rich people with portfolios in need of a good cause. We need people who drive SUVs and people who don’t drive anything. We need PhDs and graduates of the school of hard knocks. We need people who kneel when they pray and people who put their hands in the air. We need African-Americans and Hispanics to teach us what their lives are like. We need conservative Christians who hold tenaciously to the central truths of our faith. We need liberal Christians who force us to think in new ways. We need young people to give us a sense of liveliness. We need old people who’ll give us a sense of liveliness. We need non-Baptists to expand our understanding of faith. We need Baptists who appreciate the good gifts of our heritage. We need people who’ve sinned mightily and people who seem to have only gold stars by their name. We need cowboys, boaters, singles, bikers and hip hop artists.

If we let the Holy Spirit have its way, churches could be churches for all kinds of people. Can you imagine how wonderful it would be if the church looked like the Kingdom of God?

Brett Younger is pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth and the author of Who Moved My Pulpit? A Hilarious Look at Ministerial Life, available from Smyth & Helwys (800) 747-3016. You can e-mail him at byounger@broadwaybc.org.

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